Fly over, ceremony honoring area veterans

Wal-Mart in Greencastle made a $1,000 donation to the Greencastle Department of Public Works for its veterans memorial project. Store Manager Scott Guffey and community development coordinator Kim Brattain made a presentation to Superintendent Paul Wilson on Friday.

Plans are coming together for Greencastle's annual tribute to local military veterans, set to take place this Saturday, May 5 at the west end of Veteran's Memorial Highway.

City Street Commissioner Paul Wilson said he is excited about a new addition to this year's program -- a military fly over of the 181st fighter wing from the Air National Guard in Terre Haute.

The jets will fly, in formation, over the Putnam County Courthouse from north to south at around 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

"We're really excited about this," Wilson said.

The street department has been working for several weeks, getting clearance from Washington, D.C., the Federal Aviation Administration and the Air National Guard, in order to arrange the fly over this Saturday, Wilson said.

Prior to the fly over, a veterans ceremony will take place on Veteran's Memorial Highway, west of Cemetery Road, at 10 a.m. The program will last about an hour and cars can begin parking, in a designated area on the highway, at 9:30 a.m.

This year's program will begin with a presentation of colors by the V.F.W. Post 1550 Honor Guard, to be followed by comments from 150th Field Artillery Staff Sgt. Ben Fox, Greencastle Mayor Nancy Michael, Department of Natural Resources Rep. Pamela Loucks and Emmy Huffman, representing Sen. Richard Lugar's office.

Michael, in her last term as mayor, will present the annual proclamation honoring local veterans.

Loucks, community and urban forest coordinator for DNR's Community Forestry Division, will present Greencastle with its eighth Tree City Award.

The Greencastle Department of Public Works started the Veteran's Memorial Highway tree project several years ago. Local families were invited to purchase trees and a plaque to honor those who served in the military.

Wilson said there have been 150 flowering trees planted along the highway between Jackson Street and Cemetery Road, including 38 that were planted this year.

Department of Works employees who helped by planting and caring for the trees include Brad Phillips, Harold Barger, Dan Hagan, Buddy Jones, Doug Sosbe, Mark Dickerson, Jeffrey Young, Barb Flint, Kathy Hawkins, and Ernie Phillips II.

Based on the success of the tree project, Wilson said he hopes to some day have a memorial sidewalk, complete with the veterans' names and branch of service embossed on bricks, running along the highway.

For more information about this weekend's program, contact the Department of Public Works at 653-3391.